I like the idea of knockdowns giving a point or an extra point. It would encourage powerful blows more than they do already. So heavier round kicks and punches etc.

Now the question, hogus or no hogus?

Perhaps a thinner hogu would suffice. The Olympics want to keep their fighters safe. This is a good compromise, because it's still really tough, but you also have some protection so you don't accidentally get an organ destroyed from a nice kick. It might also work for keeping insurance costs down when local tournaments are hosted. Keeps parents interested in allowing their kids to compete too.

I'm not sure what your point is. The clinching skills used in MMA come from somewhere, like Muay Thai, boxing, or wrestling. Adding a skill to Taekwondo doesn't make it into an MMA knock off. My goal is to round it out some more so that it becomes viable and reputable as a system that can be used in MMA.

Last edited by yieldingbamboo; 7/27/2013 3:47pm at .
Reason: Addition of a sentence

Yes, you do. Basically, people will be learning MMA without ranking or training in the other arts you'll be describing below.

The clinching skills used in MMA come from somewhere, like Muay Thai, boxing, or wrestling. Adding a skill to Taekwondo doesn't make it into an MMA knock off. My goal is to round it out some more so that it becomes viable and reputable as a system that can be used in MMA.

Adding multiple skills makes it no longer TKD. Adding clinching will make it TKD with clinching. Adding boxing footwork, MT Knees, Jiujitsu, and TKD will change the style.

Before you lose it, there is nothing wrong with that at all, but you'll end up being told it isn't TKD.

MMA is basically becoming a style in and of itself. There's a huge thread arguing this somewhere on bullshido.

I think it is fair to say that most martial arts try to progress and research new ways or ideas into their art. It does not necessarily not make it the same art anymore. if TKD allows more face punching (and TKD has every punch boxing does) some boxing footwork could come to play. That does not mean it isnt TKD anymore. TKD already has a lot of footwork anyway.

Also within the poomsae there are some clinch-like moves. Taekwondo ho shin sool also has grabbing and locking techniques.

Anyway I do not think the WTF should put ground grappling in the new rules. Maybe some stand up clinching and allowing people to shove would be cool. They already changed the "no pushing ever" rule to "okay you can push as long as you have closed fists."

Yes, you do. Basically, people will be learning MMA without ranking or training in the other arts you'll be describing below.

Adding multiple skills makes it no longer TKD. Adding clinching will make it TKD with clinching. Adding boxing footwork, MT Knees, Jiujitsu, and TKD will change the style.

Before you lose it, there is nothing wrong with that at all, but you'll end up being told it isn't TKD.

MMA is basically becoming a style in and of itself. There's a huge thread arguing this somewhere on bullshido.

Hapkido and Yudo techniques have historically been integral to the Taekwondo curriculum of many masters. Say if students who learned these techniques and then turn around and teach them without certification in either Yudo or Hapkido, just certification in TKD -- then what are they teaching? Personally I'd say they're teaching their master's TKD.

I don't disagree that MMA is quickly becoming a style of itself. I agree fully. It has its own favored techniques, sports culture, strategies, and training type.

I'm not going to lose it just because you disagree. Looking at how leg checks and leg kicks and knee strikes and elbow strikes and face punches are all technically in the Kukkiwon curriculum, I don't think much borrowing needs necessarily to take place. Taekwondo won't have to change as much as it will have to return to its roots.

Would you still include the forms and chambered punches and stuff? Could you teach the new stuff AND the old stuff in the same amount of time, and should you?

Kyokushin does it, and those guys seem to do well in kickboxing bouts. WTF TKD gyms right now typically have a big emphasis on Olympic sparring, which in action looks and feels considerably different than the formal Kukki Taekwondo curriculum. So yes, I would teach KKW poomsae for purposes of movement education and tradition, along with some basic formal exercises, but the rest of the training would be sparring drills and self-defenses. A lot of the traditional ways of doing things have a lot of value in my opinion.